End pupil discrimination

No child should face discrimination for their parents’ religion or belief.

We think all publicly funded schools should to be open to all children, without regard to religion.

When voluntary aided faith schools and religious academies are oversubscribed, they are permitted to use religious criteria to give priority in admissions to children, or children of parents, who practice a particular religion. In many cases schools will require evidence of baptism or religious practice from a minister of religion.

We advocate for an end to the exemption from equality law that permits state funded 'faith schools' to religiously select children in this way.

Such admissions arrangements disadvantage local children whose parents are non-religious or of a different religion to the school's religious designation. Many parents find that because of their lack of religious belief, they are unable to send their children to their local state school, which is often the most appropriate school for their needs.

There is also strong evidence to suggest that the discriminatory admissions arrangements operated by some schools, in addition to being unfair, encourage social segregation and impede community cohesion.

A secular approach to school admissions would create a more inclusive education system that values and caters for all pupils equally.

Help us to oppose plans for a new wave of 100% religiously selective schools

The Government has announced plans to change many of the rules surrounding admissions to, and the opening of, new faith based free schools and academies.

These proposals include allowing new and existing faith based free schools to religiously select 100% of their pupil intake.

Religious selection in schools is discriminatory, entrenches religious segregation in wider society, and often leads to ethnic and socio-economic segregation too.

In a society as diverse as ours, rather than facilitating segregation along religious lines, the Government should be doing everything it can to ensure that children of all faiths and none are educated together in inclusive schools.

The Government says that these proposals are intended to "promote inclusivity", but it should be obvious to everyone that facilitating a new generation of 100% religiously selective schools is, by definition, inimical to this aim.

The proposals are intended to generate a new wave of faith-based schools. A proliferation of faith schools will impede the integration of religious minorities, harm social cohesion, increase levels of discrimination in a state funded schools, undermine children and young people's religious freedoms and further disenfranchise the growing non-religious majority in this country who are increasingly seeing their options for a non-faith-based education for their child limited.

The time has come to end religious discrimination and segregation in our schools – not extend it.

Please urge your MP to oppose these proposals and encourage them to instead call for schools to be open and inclusive, catering for all local children regardless of their religious or non-religious beliefs.

More information

This briefing addresses the Government’s plan to change the rules surrounding admissions to, and the opening of, new faith-based free schools and academies, including allowing new and existing faith-based free schools to religiously select their entire pupil intake.

In November 2016 a Populus poll commissioned by the Accord Coalition and the British Humanist Association questioned voters and found overwhelming opposition to selection by faith, including among all religion and belief groups.

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